Chronic Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety itself in some sense may be a good thing, such as when it motivates me to run away from imminent danger. But the word “anxiety” in English typically carries a negative connotation because fear normally runs to excess. Fear has a way of breeding fear. Or of gnawing at your insides, so to speak.
I may be reasonably motivated by fear of financial problems to decrease spending and increase income. But over a length of time, anxiety and worry over finances becomes counter-productive. Anxiety harms my mental and physical health, which in turn is bad for my potential to earn money. Over time, I may develop a chronic anxiety disorder.
Of course, each of us may handle any given stress in different ways. A strained relationship with a boss or family member may be taken in stride by one, or be a cause of chronic worry in another. We all have our hot button issues, but the “buttons” may differ from person to person. Our reactions to series of experiences develop in the brain in ways unique to each of us. Each of us has a unique physiology and genetics.
Unfortunately there may not always be a clear distinction around the border between healthy coping with stress and unhealthy chronic anxiety. It is over time that chronic anxiety will show itself in various unhealthy ways.
Symptoms of chronic anxiety disorder vary. Usually the sufferer will show a collage of symptoms from among those commonly suffered by those who have the condition.
A general and persistent feeling of anxiety is one way. Rapid heart beat, breathing difficulty, insomnia, sweaty or shaking hands, inordinate perspiration, chest pains, abdominal pains, digestive disorders, a feeling of losing control or unreality, light-headedness or dizziness, frequent headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, thoughts of dying, obsessing over little things and avoiding big things, weight loss or gain, and irritability may be others.
Chronic anxiety may be understood as a disorder because of the deleterious affects on mental and physical well-being … or the interruptions to normal lifestyle and responsibilities. A pattern of avoiding social situations or fear-inducing circumstances is tell-tale. Or the reason for anxiety may be vague and elusive.
Chronic anxiety may be at a lower level than is experienced in brief, intense panic attacks, but those suffering lower level chronic anxiety are more prone than the general population to experiencing panic attacks as well.
In any case, a qualified health care professional may be an asset in diagnosis. The more you understand about your symptoms and condition, the more likely a health care practitioner will be able to get the information about you to make a proper diagnosis and the better equipped you will be to carry out the “homework” your doctor or practitioner will prescribe.
Probably most people with chronic anxiety disorder or general anxiety disorder will also have depression to some degree, and in that case, it is especially important to get professional help. Treat your condition as if you had a broken bone or a cut needing stitches. Get help.
That may be more difficult than it seems for someone with chronic anxiety disorder. For one thing, it may creep up on one slowly. For another, I may be embarrassed to ask for help. What will the doctor or family members think of me? well, would you look down on a family member who really needed the same kind of help? Don’t those who know you want you to reclaim your life?
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